Etihad Airways Social Takeover Campaign

• Etihad wanted a distinctive campaign to support their ambitious growth plans
• A fully-managed day-long social campaign showcased their brand to over 500k
• Visits to Etihad’s career website tripled following the campaign

Few airline brands carry the global recognition of Etihad Airways. As one of the world's most prominent carriers, with a reputation built on service, innovation and international connectivity, Etihad has ambitious plans for continued growth across its operation.

Supporting that growth requires more than filling vacancies. Etihad wanted to showcase what makes the airline distinctive as an employer, highlighting not only career opportunities but also the lifestyle, development prospects and long-term benefits available to employees. The objective was to attract exceptional talent from across the aviation sector by presenting a fuller picture of life and work with the airline.

For many candidates, particularly those based outside the region, relocating to the United Arab Emirates represents a significant career decision. Etihad wanted to provide authentic insight into the opportunities available, the professional pathways within the organisation, and the experience of living and working in Abu Dhabi.

To achieve this, Etihad partnered with Aviation Job Search to deliver a dedicated Social Takeover campaign.

An immersive day-long takeover of our social media

The format gave Etihad exclusive access to Aviation Job Search social channels for a full day, placing the airline in front of a highly engaged aviation audience across LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Rather than promoting vacancies through a single post, the takeover created a continuous stream of content designed to build awareness, answer questions and generate interest throughout the day.

A mixture of formats was used, including reels, carousel posts, employer brand content, day-in-the-life features, recruitment messaging and information about employee benefits. This allowed audiences to engage with the campaign in different ways depending on what mattered most to them, whether that was career progression, lifestyle, training opportunities or specific vacancies.

The campaign was managed end-to-end by Aviation Job Search. Activity began before the takeover day itself, with promotional support through email and social channels to build anticipation and maximise audience reach. The team also worked closely with Etihad to create campaign assets that aligned with brand guidelines, developing visual content and writing captions designed to encourage engagement and drive traffic.

We tripled interest in careers at Etihad

The result was a coordinated employer branding and recruitment campaign that extended far beyond traditional vacancy promotion.

Throughout the takeover, audiences were introduced to the people behind the airline, the culture of the organisation and the opportunities available across the business. The campaign helped position Etihad not simply as an employer with vacancies to fill, but as a destination for aviation professionals seeking long-term career development within one of the industry's most recognised brands.

Engagement levels remained strong across the campaign, generating substantial visibility among aviation professionals and directing traffic towards Etihad's careers platform. Interest translated into applications for live roles and increased awareness among candidates who may not have previously considered opportunities in the region.

One of the clearest indicators of success came after the takeover had concluded. Traffic to Etihad's careers website increased significantly, demonstrating the impact of combining employer branding content with targeted recruitment messaging.

The Etihad Talent Acquisition team reflected on the results: "There was a significant impact. The number of visitors to our careers site tripled following the takeover day, so there was a positive correlation in relation to brand promoting and attracting interest. Thanks to Joe and Roxanne for your support."

The campaign demonstrated the value of giving employers the opportunity to tell a broader story around careers. Candidates increasingly want to understand the culture, lifestyle and development opportunities associated with a role before they apply. The Social Takeover format provided Etihad with a platform to communicate those messages directly to a highly relevant aviation audience.

For Etihad, the outcome was increased visibility, stronger engagement with prospective candidates and a substantial uplift in careers site traffic. By combining employer branding, recruitment marketing and audience targeting within a single campaign, the airline was able to support its hiring objectives while strengthening awareness of the opportunities available across one of aviation's most recognised employers.